Solo overnighter planned

[Sleepy]

Planning to go out this weekend, first and foremost though I'll say I'm not doing it if the nights stay cold (frost last night) I spend two nights a week in my lorry and do my best to ensure the rest are good night's sleep wise.

Kit list;

Hammock
Tarp
Sleeping bag
Knife
Fire steel
Axe
Cooking pot
Bog roll
2ltrs water
Chicken

Plan? There isn't one really though I do intend to play with a bow drill and try a bigger fire (my length, for warmth but needs to burn quite slowly).
I'm gonna try to spit-roast a chicken, a first for me, and get the missus and my sister's kids to join me for chicken lunch (probably sarnies).

Really need to get a first aid kit sorted so if anyone spots a bargain let me know!

I'll keep you posted, including photo's as and when.

[jbrown14]

The minimalist first aid kit I carry: 1 sterile gauze roll in plastic wrapper, 3-4 sterile gauze pads, small roll medical tape (whatever is laying around), maybe a couple of adhesive bandages, but not usually, and lastly, a fistful of ibuprofen "vitamin I." My water purifying iodine tablets are there in case I have to purify some water to irrigate a wound.

I can use the tape on most small open cuts if they need to be covered and held closed. The gauze pads and roll are for any large, open wounds; pads to stop the bleeding, roll to bind the pads on. My water purifying iodine tablets are there in case I have to purify some water to irrigate a wound. Other than that, any type of twist, break or other injury can be dealt with by making splints, slings or binding however is necessary with the other gear I have.

[Sleepy]

Luckily, my brother's a student nurse and regularly comes home with odd bits he's put in his pocket and forgotten to put back or throw away. I'm pretty sure I can get hold of a couple of bandages and some tape at the very least (in my opinion, cuts are the most likely incident), I'll throw a little bottle of super glue in for deep cuts (a trick I learned when I worked as a glazer - yes it contains cyanide but it's better than bleeding to death). I'll need scissors, a pin/needle and a few other basics but I should be able to put something sufficiant together for now.

One more question; anyone know the quantities for pottassium permanganate to water? I seem to remember it was such an amount for disinfectant, less for a mild disinfectant wash and less still for water purification. Not to mention it's fire lighting capabilities.

[Fletching]

Hi Sleepy,

I know it's only an overnighter, but I'd take a little more water if I were you. You never know, but you may need to use some if you have a burn / set fire to something.

[basicbushcraft]

yea good point on the water

first aid kit these are great bits of kit perfect for what your doing mate Lifesystems Trek First Aid Kit
pottassium permanganate is great bit of kit for fires

[Sleepy]

Good thinking with the water, I was thinking 2ltrs cos that's what I normally take for 24hrs in the lorry.

I'll worry about a proper first aid kit after this one, I can probably sort enough to get by this time round. About the only problem I've yet to overcome is the final sharpen of my new knife, need to check my axe too and pack everything. Oh, and must remember to take my sleeping bag home tomorow (using it in the lorry tonight).

Only one addition to the above kit may be a camera so I can post a few on here.

[basicbushcraft]

sounds good cant wait see pictures pal

[paul standley]

Hey Sleepy... wishing you a good trip mate, should be milder by this weekend.

If you have one near you, POUNDLAND do a basic First Aid kit in a little RED zip up bag for £1. Supliment it with a couple of paracetamol, a small tube of anticeptic ointment and away you go for a first over-nighter.

Get some photo's of the chicken on the spit buddy...!

[swkieran]

i know this might seem daft but how do you get youre clean water,because if you got a longish walk to camp,youre not really goin to carry 10 litres of tap water from youre house or car as its quite heavy.i know you can buy collaplapseble containers but wen there full of water lol.

[Sleepy]

Erm, not my first overnighter but deffo worth a look at the poundland kit, thanks.

Re water? To me, 3-4 litres would be well and truly enough for one night, so 3 to 4kg. If you know of a relatively clean water source where you're going (spring, stream etc), purification tablets or potassium permanganate could be an option, rain water, dew etc - especially if you're planning on boiling it but, if it's feasible, taking water's always gonna be the best way- knowing where and how to get water in an emergency is very important though, get yourself a book on survival and go practice!

[swkieran]

i think on places like dartmoor the waters clean,because its so high up no farming chemicals can run down into the water courses,martin could proberly confirm this

[Sleepy]

Well, I didn't get eaten by the bears - but that's about all that went right!

sooo, Yesterday; Remember that nice knife I made? Well I didn't sharpen it all the way as, To my mind, it'd be better to finish it off with the 'stones. BUT, it took literally all day to do - I need a courser waterstone! So, I set off at last light near enough - deciding to judge whether I thought I had enough light when I got there, which I did - JUST!

Now, before I continue, I'll point out that I took my springer spaniel with me this time for the first time - in hindsight, taking a highly strung gundog that snores badly to sleep in the woods maybe wasn't the best of ideas.

So, I found a spot with plenty of suitable firewood nearby thinking I'd be out of light before I got round to sorting that. I got the tarp up and the hammock in the very last of the light and somehow managed to get quite a nice fire going (I cheated though and used my lighter), couple of cans of beer and try to keep the dog at least near me (rather than in a muddy ditch) and it's bedtime (doesn't time fly!?)

I had the dog in the hammock with me, I didn't want to waste her body heat and it saved her getting eaten by the bears, sorry - mozzies. She didn't like getting into the hammock one little bit but wasn't too bad when the initial swinging had slowed. But then every little noise and she was fussing, looking to see what it was or hopeing to chase it I suppose. Every now and then she'd drift off and snore her head off before getting back to fidgiting.

So, in a way I've enjoyed it but having had no sleep at all, I decided not to hang about this morning like I'd planned - I'll get out again soon, minus the dog! Sorry, no photo's - I intended to get some in the light this morning but my phone died overnight, doh.

[chris grace]

Did you use the whole toilet roll?
I just take a pack of tissues.

[Sleepy]

Eh?

[kINGPIN]

Sounds a lot like the first camp I did with my dog a couple of nights back. Glad you had a good time. How much water did you use in the end? I always take 3 litres on an overnighter but end up throwing away 1 ltr.

[Sleepy]

took two litres in the end (was all a bit of a rush job packing as I was running out of daylight) Only used about a litre of it in the end, the rest was usefull for making sure the fire was out. Looking forward to not having to take my thick sleeping bag because it literally fills my rucksack (which is quite big).

What did I take,

Knife
axe
firesteel
sleeping bag
tarp
hammock
pot noodle
sachet of all in one coffee.
fork.
Big bean tin.

could have done with a torch of some sort but got by without any problems.

[kINGPIN]

Thats ok, when it comes to water its better to have too much then too little. I find the best method is to drink as much as I can in the car on the way to my camp spot. It just means I am peeing the whole time while I am walking.